FAQ

Are the National Academies part of a government agency?

Answer: No. The National Academy of Sciences was created by the federal government to be an adviser on scientific and technological matters, but is not part of the federal government. The Academy complex now consists of four organizations: the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council. The National Academy of Sciences was created in 1863 by a congressional charter approved by President Abraham Lincoln. Under this charter, the National Research Council was established in 1916, the National Academy of Engineering in 1964, and the Institute of Medicine in 1970.

The Academy and its associated organizations (the NRC, NAE, and IOM) are private, nongovernmental, organizations and do not receive direct federal appropriations for their work. Studies undertaken for the government by the Academy complex usually are funded out of appropriations made available to federal agencies. The great majority of the studies carried out by the Academy complex are at the request of government agencies.